Insight Grants

FY 2016 FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant Application Period Opening Soon

FEMA sent out an email this past Friday, 9/2/2016, indicating the next application period for Assistance to Firefighters Grants will open in about a month on Tuesday, 10/11/2016. Applications will be due Friday, 11/18/2016 at 5pm ET. Applicants are advised to begin preparing to apply ASAP and can do so using several tools provided by FEMA which are available now and accessible here, including:

  • FY 2016 Notice of Funding Opportunity  (NOFO)
  • FY 2016 AFG Grant Application Get Ready Guide
  • FY 2016 AFG Narrative Get Ready Guide
  • FY 2016 AFG Self-Evaluation – Operations and Safety
  • FY 2016 AFG Self-Evaluation – Vehicle Acquisition
  • FY 2016 AFG Application Checklist
  • FY 2016 AFG Cost Share Calculator

For the latest information on the Assistance to Firefighters program and all of the details, visit the official program site.

 

SAFER Grants Are About to Open!

FEMA recently announced that the FY 2015 Staffing and for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant application period will open Monday, 2/22/2016. Applications will be due Friday, 3/25/2016. A total of $340,000,000 is available and is expected to fund about 300 awards. FEMA states, “The goal of the SAFER Grant Program is to assist local fire departments with staffing and deployment capabilities in order to respond to emergencies, and assure that communities have adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards.” The program has two funding categories: Hiring of Firefighters and Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters.

Project periods will begin 6/30/2016 and can run 12-48 months in length. Eligible applicants are as follows (quoted from pages 3 and 4 of the Notice of Funding Opportunity):

  • Volunteer fire departments and combination fire departments may apply for funding under both the Hiring of Firefighters category and the Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters category. Separate applications must be completed for each category. Applicants are limited to one application per category, per application period. If an applicant submits two applications for the same category during a single application period, both applications will be disqualified.
  • Career fire departments may apply for funding only under the Hiring of Firefighters category. Applicants are limited to one application per application period. If an applicant submits two applications, both applications will be disqualified.
  • Municipalities and fire districts may submit applications on behalf of fire departments lacking the legal status to do so, such as those under the support of the municipality or district. The municipality or fire district may submit only one application for hiring per application period for each eligible fire department within the municipality or fire district.
  • National, state, local, or tribal organizations representing the interests of volunteer firefighters and individual fire departments (volunteer or combination) may only apply for funding under the Recruitment and Retention of Volunteer Firefighters category. Applicants are limited to one application per application period. If an applicant submits two applications, both applications will be disqualified.

Matching is not required, and award ranges are undefined. No annual limits are placed on grant-funded salaries, leaving awardees free to compensate as needed for their localities.

The Notice of Funding Opportunity can be accessed at http://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1455644730889-1856450d66491b2137fafdc07a5707cc/FY15_SAFER_NOFO.pdf.

The FAQs can be accessed at https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1455740082967-8a61e97579d9fe3feb94f8c611a99a5b/FY_2015_SAFER_FAQs_updated_2.17.16.pdf.

All program information is available at https://www.fema.gov/staffing-adequate-fire-emergency-response-grants.

Featured Grant Opportunity: SAFER

Fire departments in need of funding for staffing should be aware that application period for FEMA’s staffing grant opportunity–Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER)–will open in the near future. The following information is quoted from an email blast issued by FEMA on 2/10/2016. 

THE FY 2015 STAFFING FOR ADEQUATE FIRE AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE (SAFER) GRANTS APPLICATION PERIOD IS COMING SOON
The FY 2015 SAFER application period is right around the corner.  The open application period dates will be released as soon as the information becomes available.

Start planning your FY 2015 SAFER Grant application now by reviewing the technical assistance tools below.  These tools were produced specifically to help potential applicants begin to plan their 2015 applications ahead of the application period.  The tools can be viewed on the AFG website or downloaded to your computer.

SAFER Grants Help Desk:  If you have questions about the technical assistance tools listed below, call or e-mail the SAFER Grants help Desk.  The toll-free number is 1-866-274-0960; the e-mail address for questions is firegrants@fema.dhs.gov.

 

SAM.GOV REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED TO APPLY AND RECEIVE GRANTS
The FY 2015 SAFER application period will be here before you know it. All eligible applicants must be registered and active in the System for Award Management (SAM) before you can submit an application. Per 2 CFR § 25.205, FEMA may not make an award to an entity until the entity has complied with the requirements to provide a valid DUNS number and maintain an active SAM.gov registration with current information. SAM.gov consolidates federal procurement systems and the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA).

To register, or validate your information, please visit: https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/.

SAM.gov Registration Tips:

Please ensure the following items are current in SAM.gov and the DUNS number used in SAM.gov is the same one you use for all FEMA applications:

  • Organization’s name
  • Address
  • Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS)
  • Employer Identification Number (EIN)
  • Banking information (type of account (checking or saving), routing number, and account number
  • Many websites may look official in appearance but are not. As a reminder, registration in SAM.gov is FREE
  • SAM.gov registration is only active for one year and must be renewed annually
  • FEMA has prepared a technical assistance document, the SAM.gov Get Ready Guide. This document is designed to walk you through the SAM.gov registration process
  • This information should be consistent in all registration documents

Should you need assistance with your SAM.gov account, there are several ways to get
help:

If you have questions or concerns about your SAM.gov registration, please contact the Federal Support desk at https://www.fsd.gov.

AFG Home Page: www.fema.gov/firegrants
AFG Regional Representatives: http://www.fema.gov/fire-grant-contact-information
AFG Help Desk: E-mail: firegrants@fema.dhs.gov
Telephone Toll-Free: 1-866-274-0960

Featured Grant Opportunity: Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG)

FEMA’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program is now open with applications due 1/15/2016.

“The purpose of the AFG Program is to enhance the safety of the public and firefighters with respect to fire and fire-related hazards by providing direct financial assistance to eligible fire departments, nonaffiliated EMS organizations, and State Fire Training Academies (SFTA) for critically needed resources to equip and train emergency personnel to recognized standards, enhance operational efficiencies, foster interoperability, and support community resilience.”

For complete information on the AFG Program visit the Assistance to Firefighters Grants program on FEMA.gov

We are offering three different AFG services: narrative writing and uploading and submission of the full application, narrative writing only, and editing for a narrative written by a member of your fire department or eligible EMS organization. If you are interested in discussing your project and our services please contact us by filling out our online form here or emailing info@insightgrants.com

Grant Opportunity: NJ Volunteer Fire Departments & Emergency Response Organizations

New Jersey American Water has opened their fourth annual grant program for volunteer fire departments & emergency response organizations.

Grants will be awarded to cover the costs associated with purchasing personal protective gear, communications equipment, firefighting tools, water handling equipment, training and related activities/material that will be used to support their operations.

Who is eligible to apply: Volunteer fire departments and emergency responders located in New Jersey American Water service areas.

Award details: Maximum grant amount is $1,000. The deadline for applications is March 6th, 2015.

Where to get more information: Visit the community involvement section of New Jersey American Water’s website.

In an effort to ensure cost-effective grants support options are available for all programs and all award sizes, Insight always offers editing services at very affordable rates. For information on our grant writing or editing services, please contact us.

Firefighters Grant Programs Opening Soon: FP&S and SAFER

There are two very important Assistance to Firefighters Grant Programs opening up very soon. The FY 2014 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Program (SAFER) application period is scheduled to begin on February 9, 2015 and end on March 6, 2015, and the FY 2014 Fire Prevention and Safety Program (FP& S) application period is scheduled to begin on March 16, 2015 and end on April 17, 2015.

The SAFER Grant Program provides funding directly to fire departments and volunteer firefighter organizations in order to help increase the number of trained, “front line” firefighters available in their communities. Awards range from tens of thousands of dollars to millions of dollars for projects serving large communities. For a complete breakdown visit the SAFER section of FEMA.gov

The FP&S Grant Program supports projects that enhance the safety of the public and firefighters from fire and fire related hazards. Awards range from thousands of dollars up to over one million dollars.  The FP&S Grant Program supports projects that enhance the safety of the public and firefighters from fire and fire related hazards and includes a research grants option. For more information on the program, visit the FP&S section of FEMA.gov

Both programs require matching funds.

For these programs we offer three services:

  1. Full grant narrative writing, completion of the online application, and submission of the full application
  2. Grant narrative writing (only)
  3. Grant narrative editing (only

*Both SAFER and FP&S allow applicants to include up to $1,500.00 in grant writing costs in their application budgets for cost reimbursement if an award is made.

If you are looking for help and would like to discuss pricing please contact us by phone at 716-474-0981 or email info@insightgrants.com or fill out our online contact form here.

2014 Assistance to Firefighters (AFG) Grants Open Monday

The 2014 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG) opens this Monday, November 3rd, 2014. Applications are due Friday, December 5th at 5:00 PM EST. Full details on the program are available at the AFG Program section on fema.gov.

AFG is a large program that awards competitive discretionary grants comprised of three interconnected component programs – Operations and Safety, Vehicle Acquisition, and Joint/Regional. The purpose of the program is to enhance, through direct financial assistance, the health and safety of firefighting and unaffiliated EMS personnel and to provide a continuum of support for emergency responders regarding fire, medical, and all-hazard events. The objective is to award grants directly to fire departments, non-affiliated EMS organizations, and State Fire Training Academies (SFTAs) for critically needed resources to protect the public, train emergency personnel, foster interoperability, and support community resilience.

For those interested in the program who haven’t already had a chance to attend an official 2014 AFG workshop, you can view the presentation online here.

We are offering three different services for this year’s 2014 AFG Grant:

  1. Full grant narrative writing, completion of the online application, and submission of the full application
  2. Grant narrative writing (only)
  3. Grant narrative editing (only)

The AFG program does allow applicants to include a specified amount for grant writing costs in the application and may reimburse up to that amount as part of an award, if an award is made. If you are interested in discussing our services, please contact us via email: info@insightgrants.com or fill out our online submission form here.

Best of luck to all 2014 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Applicants!

New Resource Section for Fire Department Grant Funding

We recently added a resource section to our website for fire department grant opportunities. If you are a fire department or related organization looking for funding opportunities, be sure to visit our fire-related grants section. There are links to the major grant programs offered through FEMA, as well as some various foundation and other grant programs.

Our website also has a  find grants section that you can visit to get information and links to other popular funding sources.

Insight Grants